Are you ready to cancel your Chase credit card? We have scoured the fine print on the Chase website so that we can provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to cancel your account.
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No matter what type of credit card you are canceling, there’s preliminary work that can make the process go as smoothly as possible.
First, stop all the automatic charges to your Chase credit card account. Second, pay off the balance. Third, before you cancel your credit card, you might make sure that you have utilized all the rewards that you are entitled to receive. Finally, you should also notify any authorized users that you intend to cancel this account.
How to Cancel Your Own Chase Credit Card
Here are the steps to take to cancel your Chase credit card.
Step 1: Pay off your balance
According to an article found on the Chase website, the first step in canceling your card is to pay off the balance on the account. This is a critical step to complete, as doing so will enable you from incurring additional fees on your account.
Some Chase cards will halt your ability to charge on your account while you continue to pay off the balance.
Step 2: Call the issuer of the credit card
Call the number found on the back of your credit card or the one found on your billing statement to cancel the credit card. According to the Chase website, the customer service representative may give you a counter-offer to encourage you to keep your account open. You’ll need to decide whether that deal is worth taking.
Step 3: Send a letter to the credit card company
It’s good to create a “paper trail” when making significant decisions that affect your financial future. Follow up your call with a letter that requests that your account be closed. Include your name, address, contact phone number, and credit card number.
Step 4: Check your credit report
Check your credit report one month after you contacted Chase to make sure the account is closed. Some credit card owners are surprised to find a small balance on the account, which may have kept the company from completely closing it.
Step 5: Destroy the credit card
Thoroughly shred or cut up the credit card. It’s not good enough to cut it in half and place both halves in your trash.
How to Cancel a Deceased Loved One’s Chase Credit Card
Please accept our condolences if you recently lost a loved one. We know you are probably overwhelmed with all there is to do following the death of a loved one. We understand that you probably would rather share memories of the deceased and comfort your family members following their death than think of the financial accounts the deceased left behind.
However, you need to contact the credit card companies that the deceased used while alive to notify them about the death. This will reduce the likelihood that fraudulent charges will be made on your loved one’s account.
Please understand that simply notifying the credit card companies about the death does not close the account. The estate executor will need to follow up with the company when a copy of the death certificate is obtained. You can get help ordering a copy of the death certificate from the staff of the full-service funeral home.
As a side note, besides contacting your loved one’s credit card companies after their death, someone must also notify the Social Security Administration. This agency, in turn, informs the major credit agencies in the country. When notified of a person’s death, the credit agencies will flag a person’s social security number so that no new accounts can be opened in your loved one’s name.
Do not use the credit card of your deceased loved one without talking with the customer account staff at Chase. The specific type of account ownership may determine your ability to use the credit card.
Now that you have a surface understanding of what happens to accounts after a person dies, here are the steps involved in canceling a deceased person’s Chase credit card account.
Step 1: Contact Chase
There are multiple ways to contact Chase. You can choose to go to a Chase branch near you to close your loved one’s account. A Chase customer service representative should be able to help you with your loved one’s Chase credit card as well as any other types of accounts they may have had with this giant company.
If you would rather, you can also contact Chase customer care at 1-866-926-6909. The customer care hours are Monday–Friday, 8 AM to 9 PM ET.
Step 2: Be prepared to provide the customer service representative with your loved one’s account information
You’ll need to know the deceased person’s Social Security number and the date of death. In addition, you will need to provide a copy of the death certificate, and the customer service representative will give you details on how to complete this step.
You’ll also need to provide your information and relationship to the deceased person, as well as the contact information (name, address, and phone number) of the executor of the estate. Additional documentation may be needed to show a person has the authority to receive account information and pay the debts from the assets of the decedent’s estate.
Closing your loved one’s account may take patience. Many factors will determine how long the process will take.
If there is a balance on the account, the executor of the estate will have to use the deceased person’s assets to pay what is owed. This may prolong the process.
If there is a co-owner on the account, they may be required to apply for a new credit card instead of having the account simply switch over to their name.
Please understand that the Chase customer service representative may not be able to give you specific information regarding the account, such as the account balance. It depends on the type of the account, as that information may only be given to the executor of the estate or an attorney working on behalf of the executor.
Fortunately, the estate services department has a lot of experience handling end-of-life financial matters and will walk you through the process.
Step 3: Ask for confirmation that the account has been closed
Once the balance has been paid and the credit cards have been destroyed, ask for confirmation from Chase that the account has been closed. Tuck this documentation in with the estate paperwork so you can find it if needed.
Create an End-of-Life Plan
We get it. No one wants to think about the end of their lives. It’s easier to ignore how sand passes through the hourglass of your life.
However, this is not the responsible way to behave. Make things easier for your next of kin by leaving behind an organized accounting of your finances. Make it easy for your spouse to access your accounts – either by using a password manager or sharing information with your next of kin.
Also, pay attention to how you set up your accounts so that your next of kin will have an easy time accessing information after your death. Talk with an estate attorney to understand how the process works in your state.
Finally, create an end-of-life plan that includes your preferred method of disposition and your desired eternal resting place. You can also include your music and flower preference for your funeral in the end-of-life plan or leave those small details for your family to decide.
Additionally (and most importantly), create a will, or trust that your loved ones know how you wish your assets to be distributed at the end of your life.
Source:
- “Estate Services.” Chase. Accessed 6 December 2021. Chase.com.